Yes, this does become a real estate topic. It just takes a minute.
Background - We live and work in the Columbus, OH area and my partner and prospective partner (another long story) own an old bus that has been converted into a dance club and bar. We drive it to OSU football games and use it for tailgates. For the OSU - Michigan game, we almost could not get it started and almost could not get it to the game. Once we got it down there it died again. For all I know, it is still there. Some were jokingly talking about just taking the plates off and leaving it.
I fear the Prty Bus has Died. It had a good run though and it went out in a blaze of glory.
Question - We are now discussing what to do about a new party bus. Since we are now grown ups and business people (damn it) there is a line of thinking that we need to pick up the image a little and go higher end. I suppose I agree, although it was fun to act like a college student again. This time like one with money !!
So the thought has gone to a Winebago, but we don't really want to spend a lot of cash ONLY to take this thing down to a few football games every year. Here's the thought:
We can load it up with clients and drive them through new build subdivisions, make appointments with the builders so they can present their wares, etc. It is a work in progress and since I have no idea how to prospect consumer buyers, I don't have much to add.
I know that some people have limo's take prospects around and that there are investor "busses" where people teach investment classes while on the road.
Does anyone else do something like this? I am thinking it may attract an upscale crowd wanting to look at neighborhoods in luxury.
What do I know, I am just trying to offset the cost of the new party bus.....
Anyone, anyone, Bueller, Bueller......
Do you have questions about distressed assets, receivership or bankruptcy sales, auctions? Email me at rfk@gryphonusa.com and I'll try to answer it in an upcoming post.
Richard F. Kruse is the President of Columbus, Ohio based Gryphon USA, Ltd. (www.gryphonusa.com). The Gryphon Organization includes Gryphon Asset Management providing receivership and consulting services in the distressed marketplace, United Country Gryphon Realty & Auction Group (www.ucohiorealty.com & www.ucohioauctions.com) providing real estate brokerage and auction services throughout Ohio and OnlineAuctionUSA.com (www.onlineauctionusa.com) providing commercial asset liquidations from the Midwest to East Coast.
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I know nothing about party buses. One question. Can you recapture the allure of the party bus, with a new party bus?
Maybe you should just invest in a Trolley to take people on tours. I always wanted to get a Brinks truck and outfit it with a flatscreen, sofa and PS3
Bueller, Bueller caught my eye. I just got done explaining to my daughter the finer points of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It seems she ran into a teacher at school yesterday who just realized who her twin brother is. "He's so kind, he's so sweet, bla bla bla" (He really is a nice kid) He does, however, know how to work positions of authority. I could tell by my daughter's eye roll they she had been Buellered.
Two points.
No, we can not capture the allure. That is part of the point.
Brinks truck I don't know, but the Winny would come with sofas and a couple of TV's. We were thinking of showing DVD's from the builders while travelling to the site and also throwing in a commercial about ourselves. Theoretically, this would be 100% captive selling opportunity. By having a driver, the staff can focus on the prospects insted of being the schlepper.
Good for the kid. You can be nice and still work the system. If you can't you don't get ahead.
Rich,
I see two different routes to solve this problem.
! Buy another beater tint the windows, so no one can see who's in there and PARTY! Find a farmer with a barn to hide it in between games.
Or
Step up, spend nearly $100,000.00 for a new motor coach, paint your company name on all sides, party conspicuously, but quietly. Park it in front of your office and tell Melissa about your great new tax write off.
Bill
How did you know the windows were tinted?
I have looked at option 2. We wre thinking about somthing 5 years old that might be 40-50k